Improvement in pocket-books, porte-monnaies



UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

B. F. OOWAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN POCKET-BOOKS, PORTE-MONNAIES, 80C.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,909, dated November 14, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, B. F. OoWAN, ofthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Porte-Monnaie PocketBooks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, form ing part of this specilication.

The object of my invention is to make a porte-monnaie, pocket-book, Snc., in such man-A ner that it cannot be abstracted from the pocket of the owner without his knowledge; and myinvention consistsin attachingto portemonnaies, pocketbooks, memorandum-books, 85o., in a suitable manner, a serrated or roughened metallic strip, or in roughening or nicking the frame of a porte-monnaie or other like article, the effect bein g to cause the serrated or roughened surfaces to catch into the side of the pocket, so that an attempt to abstract it will attract the notice of the owner, but which at the same time will permit the article to be withdrawn by the owner-without any difficulty.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of a porte-monnaie with my invention applied to it. Fig. 2 is a view ofthe top of the same. Fig. 3 shows my invention applied to an ordinary pocket-book, and Fig. d to a memorandum-book.

A, Fig. l, represents the sides or body of a porte-monnaie, and B theframethereof. To the upper side of each jaw of the frame B, I attach a strip of metal, a, which strips have their out er edges serrated, or made like saw-teeth, the points being all in the same direction; and, as a further security, I roughen or nick the surface of the frame B along the front and back, as shown at b.

It will be seen that when aporte-monnaie is inserted in the pocket with the teeth pointing upward it cannot be abstracted therefrom without the knowledge ofthe owner, for the reason that the teeth will catchinto the sides of his pocket, but should the party owningthe portemonnaie desire to take it from his pocket, it will be merely necessary to turn it around in his pocket, so that the teeth will point downward, when it can be drawn out without any difficulty, or he can so grasp it in his hand as to draw it out without allowing the teeth to come in contact with his pocket.

My invention can be applied to all kinds of pocket and memorandum books,as will be seen by reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. In Fig. 3 two serrated strips, a, are secured across the pocket book, on each side, in such manner that the teeth will project out beyond the body of thepocket-book far enough to catch int-o the sides ofthe pocket should a felonious attempt be made to abstract it therefrom. In Fig. 4 a roughened or nicked strip or plate, b, is secured to the side of a memorandum-book, and the same result is obtained thereby.

I do not confine myself to any particular manner of applying the roughened or serrated strips vor plates, as it is obvious that they can' be applied in many ways and insure the saine result.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

Attaching to porte-monnaies, pocket-books, memorandum-books, Svc., a serrated or roughened metallic strip or plate,or roughening the frame of porte-monnaies, 85o., substantially as andfor thepurpose herein shown and described.

B. F. COWAN.

Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, W. WURzBAcH. 

